The Labor enquirer., 1887-12-31

Of the birth of ~ ~fsth>r Of his country,
70 view The situatinn Of public affairs an,
| edviss proper aetion. 4 general discon
tent prevails On ths part Of the wealth
producers. Farmers are suffering from
poverty which has forced most Of then
to mortgage their estdtss, and prices O.
produce are 70 low - to offer no reliei
except through bankruptcy. Laboreri
are sinking into greater and greater de
pendence. Strikes are resorted to with
out relief, because Of the inability of EN-
ployers In many cases TO pay living wages
while moro and moro sre driven into the
I streets. Business men find collections al
most impossible, meantime hundreds OF
millions Of Idle public money which ia
needed for relief is locked up in the
United States treasury in grim mockery
OF the distress; land monopoly Aourishes
as never known before, and more and
more owners Of the soil are daily becom-
ing tenants. Great transportation corpo-
rations still succeed in extorting their
profits upon watered stock through unjust
charges. The United States senate has
become an open scandal, its seats being
purchased by the rich in open defiance of
the popular will. A triHing fisheries dis
pute is seized upon as an excuse for nee
essary military preparations which are
designed to breed spirit of war, to ape
European despotisu, and to empty the
treasury without paying the public debt.
Under these and other alarming condi-
tions We appeal 70 the people of the
whole country to como out of the old
party organizations, where indifference
to the public welfare is responsible for
this distress, and help MS to organize a
new political party, not sectional but ma
tional, whose members shall be called
commoners, whose object shall be to re-
peal all class laws in favor of the rich, and
to relieve the distress of our industries
by establishing the following principles
l. Land-Every human being possesses
natural, inalienable right to sufficient
land for self support, and we desire to Sc
cure to ever industrious citizen home as
the highest result of free institutions. To
this end we desire a graduated land tax
on all land estates, especially those held
for speculative or tenant purpose; the re-
claimation Of all unearned land grants;
the immediate opening of Oklahoma to
homestead settlement; the purchase of
all unoccupied Indian lands, and the set
tlement of the various tribes in severalty;
also laws preventing corporations from
acquiring real estate beyond the requir-
ments of their business, and alien owner
ship Of land. The system of irrigation,
in states and territories where necessary,
shall be under such public control as shall
secure the free and equitable use of the
waters and franchises to the people.
2. Transportati0n-The means of COM
municatiOn or transportation should be
controlled by the people, as is the United
States postal system, and equitable rates
everywhere established.
8. Money-The establishment of ma
tional monetary system in the interest of
the producer instead of the speculator
and usurer by which circulating medium
in necessary quantity and full legal ten
der, shall be issued directly to the peo-
pie, without the intervention of banks, or
loaned to citizens upon ample security at
low rate of interest to relieve them from
the extortions of usury and enable them
to control the money supply. Postal saw
ings banks should be established. While
we have free coinage of gold, we should
have free coinage of silver. We demand
the prompt payment of the national debt,
and condemn the further issue of interest
bearing bonds, either by the national gov
ernment, or by states, territories, counties
or municipalities. n
4. Decentralization should take the
place of strikes and other injurious meth
ods of settling labor disputes; the letting of
convict labor to contractors be prohibited;
the Q04tract system be abolished in pub
lie works; the hours of labor in industrial
establishments be reduced commensurate
with the increase Of production in labor
saving machinery; employees to be pro-
sected from bodily injury; equal pay be-
lug given for equal work for both sexes,
and labor, agricultural and cooperative
associations be favored and Incorporated
by law. The foundation of republic is
the intelligence of its citizens, and chill.
dren who are driven into worL shops.
mines and factories are deprived of edr.
cation which should be secured by proper
legislation. We desire to see labor organ
izations extend throughout all civilized
countries, until it shall be impossible for
despots to array the workingmen of one
country in war against their brothers of
another country.
8. Soldiers and Sailors-In apprecia-
tion of the services of United States SOL
diers and sailors We demand for them JUS
tice before charity. The purposely de-
preciatei monev Dsid them 5I:sDg the
war should be made equal in value to the
gold paid the bondholder. The soldier
was promised geld or its equivalent and
was paid in deprecated paper. The bond
holder loaned the government deprecated
paper and contracted to take it back, but
was paid in gold.
6. Income Taxa graduated income
is the most equitable system of taxation,
placing the burden of government on
those who can best afford to pay, instead
of laying it on the farmers and producers,
and exempting millionaire bondholders
and corporations.
7. United States Senate-The capture
of the United States senate by million
aires and and tools of corporations who
have no sympathy with free institutions,
threatens the very existence of the repub-
lie. We demand constitutional amend
ment making United States senators elect
i've by direct vote of the people.
8. Chinese-State and national laws
should be such as shall effectually exclude
from America the Mongolia slaves and
Asiatic competition.
3. Armed Men-The employment of